Tasteful Selections facility named 2015 Green Plant of the Year
Tasteful Selections facility named 2015 Green Plant of the Year
Tasteful Selections' new facility in Arvin, CA, was named the 2015 Green Plant of the Year by Food Processing magazine. With a commitment to a higher standard of quality and innovation, the state-of-the-art 200,000-square-foot building was designed to reduce energy use, over its old facility, by 50 percent.
The new building meets Cal Green Certification Standards and food-safety regulations with impressive cutting-edge technology that improves the quality, sustainability and efficiency of Tasteful Selections’ operations. Improvements include enhanced temperature controls and stainless steel machinery throughout the facility. A redesigned water system allows all water to be reused either in the washing process or by applying to nearby farmland. Another feature is the use of glycol instead of ammonia in work areas. Environmentally this is not an issue but it was selected out of concern for employee’s safety.
“This new facility is something we are really proud of,” Russell Wysocki president and chief executive officer of RPE, said in press release. “As a company committed to responsible farming and innovative solutions, with this facility we are able to reduce the amount of energy we use as well as provide a safer environment for our employees.”
Winners of the Green Plant award submitted 200-word essays depicting sustainable and environmentally friendly practices that are being used in their facilities. The new Tasteful Selections facility, opened in March, grades, stores, washes, dries and packages the potatoes for distribution.